Which part of “UMNO is Game Over” that UMNO President Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his lieutenants don’t understand? As far back as May, just days after Pakatan Harapan took over as the new Government of Malaysia, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has announced the rejection of a suggestion that UMNO will join his administration.

A month later in June, still licking his wound and with his tail between legs, UMNO acting president Zahid met the 93-year-old man whom he had insulted and mocked with regards to his Indian ancestry – calling him the son of Iskandar “Kutty”. Despite kowtowing, begging and crawling to the old man to be included in the new government, Mahathir told him to fly kite.

The next month (July), PM Mahathir congratulated Zahid for being elected as the new UMNO president, but declared – again – that the Government will not work with the defeated and badly bruised party. The premier said – “Congratulations, this means he is loved by UMNO, and I congratulate him, but we will not work with them.”

By August, the new UMNO president was fabulously devastated and demoralized. UMNO’s account was still frozen. Zahid has become not only the first UMNO president who isn’t the prime minister, but also the first to be opposition leader, as well as the first party leader without funds to feed the party with contracts and “dedak (animal feed, used to describe bribes)”.

This month alone, like a broken record, Mahathir said his Pakatan Harapan coalition government will not accept UMNO into its fold. The premier said – “If they (UMNO) want to work with PKR, no way we will accept them into Pakatan Harapan (as a component party).” That was before he flies away to New York for UN General Assembly.

But even in New York, he has to repeat himself again. Predicting UMNO’s death, Mahathir told all and sundry at a meeting with members of the United States Council on Foreign Relations – “UMNO is fragmented now, it is going to collapse. There’s no future for UMNO anymore, because the people as a whole detest UMNO.”

Mahathir was so sick and tired of telling UMNO leaders to go jump in a lake that his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, despite his illness of cancer, felt sorry for his boss and has come out to rubbish the formation of the unity government. Muhyiddin said – “UMNO plus (Pakatan Harapan) is never viable, because people have rejected UMNO and Pakatan know that we won, and UMNO has lost, because people have no more trust.”

How many times does Mahathir need to repeat himself that UMNO will not be accepted, before he gets so annoyed and irritated that he might sue Zahid for sexual harassment (*grin*)? In fact, he has made more statements rejecting UMNO than he has assured the people that prime-minister-in-waiting Anwar Ibrahim will take over as the 8th Prime Minister of Malaysia.

So, which part of “UMNO is Game Over” that Zahid and his lieutenants don’t understand? It’s incredibly amazing that the UMNO president has reduced himself to such desperation level that he pathetically goes down on his knees – begging to be screwed. Who on earth wants to form a unity government (with opposition UMNO) when they are already in the government?

To be fair, Mahathir should give Zahid a medal for his perseverance to be accepted as part of the ruling coalition government. As the clock ticks, now Mr. Zahid said UMNO hopes it can form a unity government with “any party” within Pakatan Harapan as soon as possible. This means UMNO is no longer being choosy and is willing to work with even Chinese-based DAP.

Yes, it appears that the mighty UMNO Malay nationalist party – despite its so-called 3 million members and winning 4 million votes in the May 9 polls – isn’t that strong after all. The corrupt organization crumbles without the need for it to be declared illegal by the Registrar of Societies (RoS). In reality, however, Zahid wants to scam UMNO members, probably for one last time.

The UMNO general assembly, which opens this evening, has no parallels in the history of the party. As their new president, Zahid has been extremely nervous as he will be facing over 5,000 delegates who have been running around like headless chickens after the stunning downfall. He needs to feed them with “a hope” – propaganda that UMNO would be back in power.

Hence, the sales speech that UMNO will form a unity government with Pakatan Harapan. Zahid hopes to calm the delegates with a fake hope to prevent a chaotic assembly – probably a chair-throwing meeting – which could seal his fate. The unity government idea is to distract delegates from the bigger issue of reforming and revitalizing the paralysed UMNO.

Its worth to note that former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had only won 95 divisional votes against Khairy Jamaluddin’s 51 and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s 25. That’s less than 50% of UMNO 191 division’s support. The only reason why UMNO hasn’t gone down to the bottom of the sea is the sinking ship is too huge to go under just yet, but it’s sinking nevertheless.

DAP, one of four component parties making up Pakatan Harapan, has also rejected UMNO’s wet dream of joining the government. Only PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim has been rather vague in his rejection of accepting Zahid and his minions. But what about the strong rumours and speculations about an internal power struggle between Mahathir and Anwar?

Anwar will be the dumbest person on planet Earth if he makes the first move to form a unity government with UMNO. Even if Mahathir doesn’t retaliate, the voters will definitely punish PKR and send the family of Anwar, Azizah and Nurul to oblivion – for betrayals. Anwar can only make his move “after” Mahathir made his move. But so far, Mahathir has clearly said UMNO is not welcomed.

What Mahathir actually wants from UMNO is its pool of ordinary members, not its tainted top leaders. With people strongly behind the old man, a unity UMNO-PKR-PAS government is doomed to fail. And both Anwar and Zahid knew it. That explains why Zahid has revealed that he had a second meeting with PM Mahathir Mohamad recently, but none with Anwar Ibrahim.

Zahid knew that in a remote possibility of a unity government with Pakatan Harapan, which isn’t going to happen, he has to get the blessing from Mahathir first. Unfortunately, the prime minister has shut the door in Zahid’s face for such fantasy to materialize. Still, it did not stop Zahid from milking the rumours to at least scam the 5,000 UMNO delegates from rebelling against his weak leadership. - ft

BN has announced not to contest in Port Dickson by-election. Ahmad Zahid explained it was to protest a by-election created specifically to fulfill the wish of a single individual.Which sounds a little weird.If you don't agree to your rival creating a by-election, the right thing to do is to get the voters to say "no" together to such a trick, not to pull out from the race so that the rival gets his way.I think Ahmad Zahid's reason sounds more like an excuse than anything else.No-contest is very much an embarrassing thing for BN, a former ruling coalition and now the largest opposition front.Not contesting in the by-election means BN is giving up an opportunity in political participation.Where this is concerned, BN should pick up a lesson from Parti Rakyat Malaysia, PRM, a tiny outfit unknown to nine out of ten Malaysian voters.Winning a seat is as difficult as keeping the deposit. That said, the party insists to take part in an election to proclaim its political philosophy.The raison d'être of any party lies with its poliitcal philosophy which is not to be kept neatly at home but conveyed to the masses through participation in an election.Stevie Chan Keng Leong, an independent, vows to challenge Anwar Ibrahim because he wants to tell Anwar it is undemocratic to create a by-election even though many will see him as a fool.BN/Umno may have their hidden reasons not to challenge Anwar, which they find it very inconvenient to tell the world.

Or perhaps Anwar is not even their biggest enemy in the current highly intricate political environment. Instead of facing off with Anwar, why not avert a heads-on clash and do him a special favor?Let's look back at what former minister Mohamed Nazri said recently.He said Umno should not contest in Port Dickson, and he even offered to campaign for Anwar in PD.Nazri found himself become a target of public wrath in Umno, and deputy president Mohamad Hasan vowed that Umno would go all out to fight Anwar in PD.Though not a mainstream figure in Umno, Nazri with his decades of experience in government knows how to survive in poliitcs.He said campaigning for Anwar was the best way for Umno to return to Putrajaya."To be the government again, we need to work with PKR. We need to show a friendly gesture and let Anwar win in the by-election."I dare say Nazi is not alone; many in Umno will think likewise.To many Umno politicians, a leader can come and go, and anyone can become a leader if this goes well with people's interests.They pledged loyalty to Najib in the past, and follow wherever Ahmad Zahid takes them today. Who knows they may turn to Anwar or even Mahathir tomorrow?There are no eternal leaders, or enemies, in politics. - mysinchew

Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, arrived on Wednesday at the country’s anti-corruption agency for a second round of questioning over an investigation into state fund 1MDB.Her questioning comes amid indications that more charges could be filed in the investigation into how billions of dollars went missing from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).Najib, who was ousted in a general election in May, has already been charged with money laundering, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has consistently denied wrongdoing.Rosmah arrived at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters flanked by her lawyers and looking solemn.

Her first round of questioning in June lasted three hours.Last week, a MACC official said more charges could be brought against individuals over 1MDB.When asked if Rosmah could face charges, the official said: “I’m not denying that.” Rosmah, 66, has long been in the public eye for flaunting a range of Hermes Birkin handbags and showy jewellery, and spending thousands of dollars in shopping sprees around the world.

Her penchant for designer goods has raised eyebrows in Malaysia, with many asking how she has been able to afford the luxury items on her husband’s government salary.The couple’s world has been turned upside down since Najib suffered a shock election defeat on May 9 to his one-time mentor Mahathir Mohamad, who swiftly reopened an investigation into 1MDB.The US Department of Justice has alleged more than US$4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB and that about US$680 million ended up in Najib’s personal bank account.Najib and Rosmah have both been barred from leaving the country and their home and other properties linked to them have been searched by the police as part of the 1MDB investigations.

The haul seized from their homes – Malaysia’s biggest and worth up to US$275 million – included 567 handbags, 423 watches and 12,000 pieces of jewellery, including 1,400 necklaces, 2,200 rings, 2,800 pairs of earrings and 14 tiaras.Rosmah has drawn comparisons to Imelda Marcos, who left behind more than 1,200 pairs of shoes when her husband Ferdinand Marcos was ousted as president of the Philippines in 1986.Najib has said most of the items seized from his houses were gifts given to his wife and daughter and had nothing to do with 1MDB. - scmp

Anwar Ibrahim, the internationally-known polar star of the opposition to the Barisan Nasional, the national ruling coalition brought down in May 9 elections, has come under growing criticism for revoking his decision to wait two years before re-entering Malaysian politics.His reentry could invalidate the years he has spent in the political wilderness and prison.Anwar, now 71, was jailed a second time in January 2015 for five years on sexual perversion charges that were universally perceived as designed to keep him imprisoned and out of politics. His detention, regarded as martyrdom by his followers, was a major rallying cry for the May election landslideHowever, his reentry into politics has been widely condemned because it is taking place in Port Dickson, a sleepy town 90 km south of Kuala Lumpur, where a retired rear admiral named Danyal Balagopal Abdullah appears to have been dragooned into relinquishing his seat to trigger a by-election that Anwar first seemed certain to win, raising criticism that instead of martyred hero, he is power-hungry and impatient.“Why are we surprised? It has always been about Anwar,” a critic said on social media. “When he was asked about the division in his party, he said that there were no camps. There was only one camp, Anwar’s camp.”The move has been widely condemned because it has reflected badly, not just on Anwar, his family and Danyal but also Parti Keadilan Rakyat, which is led by Anwar’s wife Wan Azizah Ismail, deputy prime minister and member of parliament for the Pandan constituency in Selangor. With his daughter, Nurul Izza, also in parliament, that has raised concerns over nepotism among an electorate fed up with nepotism, corruption, cronyism and arrogance from the Barisan.

Port Dickson is a garrison town heavily populated by the military. One former soldier, who declined to be named said, “We are just being used as Anwar’s stepping stone into parliament. We are not that easily fooled.”Today, Anwar is accused of being impatient instead of setting out to heal a leadership rift between party Secretary-General Rafizi Ramli and Azmin Ali, the economics minister in the new government. Instead, his critics say, he has disregarded mending his party to enter a race for the premiership now held by the nonagenarian Mahathir Mohamad, who led a scorched-earth campaign to get rid of the Barisan and its lead party, the United Malays National Organization. Mahathir, who left UMNO in fury, heads the newly minted Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in addition to heading the Pakatan Harapan coalition, which took over the government in May.Anwar said soon after his release that he would spend two years lecturing at western universities and in some Muslim countries. The agreement was that if Mahathir won, he would abdicate the premiership after two years. That was the time allotted for a smooth transition.Disillusioned Malaysians gave Mahathir the mandate to rule. They were prepared to give him a second chance to rectify many of his own wrongs during his 22 year reign, which ended in 2003 and which critics say generated many of the problems that exist in Malaysia today.

Earlier promises that members of Anwar’s family would vacate their seats for Anwar have not been kept. Instead Danyal drew the short straw. There have been allegations that Danyal will be rewarded, but these have been denied. Both Wan Azizah and Anwar’s daughter Nurul Izzah have aggressively asserted Anwar’s right to be prime minister, and indeed to have three members of the family in parliament.The power struggles between the two factions in PKR increased when Azmin, an economics and mathematics graduate of the University of Minnesota in the United States, came to be regarded as groomed by Mahathir, which was not acceptable to the opposing camp of Rafizi and Anwar’s wife and daughter.Should the 93-year-old Mahathir fall ill or die, Wan Azizah is in line to become Prime Minister, which is regarded as unacceptable. The public is aware that she is Anwar’s seat warmer, which she has acknowledged. She is also regarded as indecisive by the public, having failed to defend the rights of women and children, as was highlighted in recent cases involving the marriage of a 11-year-old girl and a 41-year-old man, and a second between a 15-year-old girl and a 45-year-old man.Azmin is seen to be capable, at least in Mahathir’s eyes. He was given the job of Minister for Economic Development, a new portfolio with far-reaching powers. Having proven himself by running Selangor, the most productive and richest Malaysian state, as chief minister, Azmin has demonstrated able leadership should Mahathir vacate the seat. Non-Malay, non-Muslim leaders – Chinese or Indian –are unacceptable given political reality and the numerical superiority of Malays in the population.To many, Anwar, is a spent force. A spellbinding orator, he litters his speeches with quotes from books on philosophy, the Quran and the Bible, but many doubt his ability to govern beyond that. Nonetheless, he has been given high marks internationally for his term as finance minister under Mahathir from 1991 to 1998, when Mahathir fired him for attempting to follow International Monetary Fund advice to allow the ringgit, the country’s currency, to float freely.

The bigger concern is that he has not publicly ruled out a merger with UMNO, now in a state of complete collapse, its leader, Najib Razak, in the dock on charges of having stolen the equivalent of US$681 million from the scandal-scarred 1Malaysia Development Bhd.The impatient prime-minister-in-waiting may have to deal immediately with Azmin, who will undoubtedly stand in his path to the premiership. Anwar has already warned his party that dissenters and the disloyal will be punished. PKR’s internal polls will soon be held and he reminded party members to vote for leaders loyal to the struggle. Ironically, Anwar urged the party to reject those with self-interest.Allegations have arisen that the former Minister of Finance, who is also part of Mahathir’s Council of Elders, Daim Zainuddin stated that Anwar should not be made PM. That statement may be immaterial, but Malaysians remember Anwar for his role in the increasing Islamization of the nation’s universities, schools and civil service. They fear his close ties with Turkey’s President Recep T Erdogan and most of all, they recall that in his Malaysia Day speech, he did not mention anything about stopping the rising tide of conservative Islam in Malaysia.Recently Anwar spoke at the Singapore Summit, a gathering of business leaders, in which he sounded moderate, inclusive and a man of the people. Malaysians are quick to dismiss this and remember that Najib portrayed himself as a moderate when he was overseas, but allowed the extremists free reign at home.So, will Anwar use the power struggles within his own party to grab the premiership and continue with his Islamist agenda? There is considerable concern over those issues. - Mariam Mokhtar,Asia Sentinel.

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